EVENT: Subsurface Geo-Engineering - Band-aid or enduring solutions to the looming prospects of peak oil and climate change

A public lecture by Derek Elsworth, Professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, Penn State and 2010 Institute of Advanced Studies Professor-at-Large.

Sometimes described as the “green new deal” this refers to solutions to the perfect storm caused by the current financial crisis and the collision between the effects of climate change and peak oil.

Energy-intensive economies of the industrialised world and the burgeoning energy-hungry economies of aspiring members to this club demand access to plentiful and dependable energy. A major global challenge is to satisfy this growing energy demand - in the face of peak oil - while simultaneously balancing the needs of environment and economy.

One exciting path involves the significant but exciting challenges related to the increased utilisation of low-carbon and no-carbon fuels with which Australia is amply endowed. These include the development of methods for the safe sequestration of CO2, the effective development of non-hydrothermal resources and in the recovery of low-carbon fuels such as natural gas from challenging subsurface environments.

This lecture will explore the significant role subsurface science may play in brokering such a technological and societal transition.

This is a free public lecture. All welcome, no RSVP required.